Means for controlling feed of cotton.



PATENTED APR.1'6, 1907.

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T; ANDREWS.

APPLICATION FILED ITO V. 11. 1905.

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MEANS FOR CONTROLLING FEED 0F COTTON.

' THOMAS A. ANDREWS, OF GRANTVILLE, GEORGIA.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING FEED OF COTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed November 11, 1905. Serial No. 286,953.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grantville, in the county of Coweta and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling Feed of Cotton, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for insuring reliable delivery of cotton to the feeders of gins and analogous machines and cooperating withthe elevator usually employed in connection with gins arranged in series.

Heretofore the air pi e or shaft extending from the elevator to t e fan has been provided with a door in one side and operative as desired through the medium of a pulley and gears and known as a tripvalve. This trip-valve when closed permits the fan to exhaust through the air plpe or shaft and elevator and take up the cotton and deposit it in the chutes or feeders connected to the elevator and gins. When this trip-valve or door is open, the fan instead of drawing air through the elevator and creating a suction in the latter draws the air inwardly through the opening cleared by the trip-valve or door, and thus relieves the elevator of any suction efiect. In the usual construction this tripvalve or door is located so near the fanthat the indrawn volume of air is, increased to such an extent that the speed of the fan is decreased, requiring more power to be applied than is necessary when the trip-valve or door is closed and also materially wearing and straining the belts and cooperating mechan- 1SII1.

' The arrangement of parts in accordance with the features of the invention provides a door or valve inside the air pipe or shaft which is connected to and operates simultaneously with the outer trip-valve or door, and when the latter is opened the inside valve or door is disposed obliquely across the air pipe or shaft and shuts off all communication of the fan with the elevator. Conversely, when the outer trip valve or door is closed the inner valve or door is caused to assume a vertical position within the air pipe or shaft and ermit the fan to exert an unobstructed suction through the pipe or shaft and elevator. By the improved arrangement also the outer trip door or valve is caused to assume a certain angular position and is so held when opened by the inner valve or door and air is cut ofiisufficiently from the fan to enable the latter to maintain the same s eed with advantages in the operation of t epower-belts and a material reduction in the Wear and tear on the machine.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a series of gins, an elevator, and an air pipe of shaft shown diagrammatically and embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the air-pipe, showing the connections between the outer door or trip-valve and the inner valve embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 3 is a section through a portion of the air-pipe and devices shown by Fig. 2, illustrating the outer door open and the relation thereto of the inner door in full lines and both doors closed in dotted lines.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates an elevator of usual construction leading to a cotton-supply and also in communication with chutes'2 of feeders 3, comprised in the organization of cotton-gins 4. An air pipe or shaft 5 con' nects with one extremity of the elevator .1 and. leads to an exhaust-fan 6. In one side of the air pipe or shaft 5 an opening 7 is formed and is adapted to be'closed by a centrally fulcrumed or hinged door or trip-valve 8, disposed or hung on a shaft 9: Within the air pipe or shaft 5 to cooperate with the outer door or trip-valve 8 is an inner door,

gate, or valve 10, which when the door or valve 8 is closed depends in vertical position, as shown by dotted lines. gate, or valve 10 is fulcrumed to opposite sides of the air pipe or shaft 5, and to one of The inner door,

the fulcrum-studs 11 thereof an exteriorly- 5 located crank-arm 12 is secured. On the end of the shaft 9 adjacent to the crank-arm 12 another crank-arm 13 is attached, and the free ends of the two crank-arms are coupled by a connection 14 of suitable form for simultaneous operation. Suitable mechanism will be provided for actuating the doors, gates, or valves 8 and 10 which will be under the control of the operator, such mechanism being capable of variation indefinitely.

When the door 8 is opened, the upper end is thrown inwardly and the lowerend outwardly, and simultaneously the, upper extremity of the door or valve 10 is thrown outwardly toward the opening 7 and the lower extremity in a reverse direction. The upper end of the gate or valve contacts with the inner portion of the upper extremity of the door 8, and the lower end of said valve 10 engages the inner portion of the wall of the air pipe or shaft opposite that having the opening 7 therein, thereby completely closing out the part of the air-shaft above the opening 7 and the elevator. It will be observed that when the door 8 is opened, as shown, the fan 6 will draw air through the lower portion of the opening 7 downwardly through the pipe or shaft below said opening, the angular position of the said door being such as to permit the indrawing of air suflicient only for maintaining the same rate of speed .of the fan as when the door 8 is closed and the gate or valve 1-0 is disposed in vertical position. By the arrangement and operation set forth additional power to keep up the speed of the fan is unnecessary, and strain on the belts and wear and tear on the machinery is avoided. During the time that the door 8 is open the cotton in the elevator will be permitted to drop through the chutes 2 to the feeders 3 in view of the fact that all suction effect is withdrawn from the said elevator. When the door 8 is closed, the gate or valve 10 assumes a vertical position, and the air pipe or shaft is unobstructed when it is desired to have the full suction effect-of the fan and means for creating a suction throng applied to the elevator. It will be observed also that when the door 8 is opened and engages the upper end of the gate or valve 10 the downward movement of the door is obstructed, and likewise the valve 10 is held in fixed position irrespective of the suction force of the fan, so that there is no liability of the door Sand valve 10 being-displaced from the adjusted position thereof desired.

The improved structure will be found exceptionally advantageous in cotton-treating apparatus, and it will be understood that the number of gins or the length of the elevator, as well as vother incidental operating mechanisms, may be varied at will.

Havin thus fully described the invention,

what is cl aimed as new is 1. The combination with an elevator, chutes and feeding mechanism 006 erating therewith, of an air-pipe connecte to the elevator and having an opening solely in one side thereof, an outer door fulcrumed at an intermediate point and cooperating with said opening, an inner valve also fulcrumed at an intermediate point and simultaneously movable with the door to open and close the ipe,

h the p p 2-. The combination with a cotton-elevator, of an air-pipe connected thereto and having an opening therein, intermediately-fulcrumed closing means for the said opening, means in the air-pipe for closing the latter and connected to the closing means for the opening for simultaneous operation therewith, said pipe-closing means having one end bearing against an intermediate portion of closing means for the opening when the latter closing means clearsithe opening, and a device for creating a suction of air through the said 1 e. p Thecombination witha cotton-elevator, of an air-pipe connected thereto and having an opening thereinia closing-valve for the air-pipe, a closing-door for the said opening fulcru ned at an intermediate point in the opening of said pipe and connected to the valve for simultaneous operation therewith, the door whenjmovedifito open position closing the valve, and means for creating a suc tion through the air-pipe.

4. The combination with a cotton-elevator, of an air-pipe connected thereto and having an opening therein, a door for the opening, -a valve for closing the air-pipe connected to the door for simultaneous operation therewith, the door when opened being disposed at an angle to and engaging the upper end of the valve, the latter being closed when the door is opened, and means for creating a suction through theair-pipe and-elevator.

5. The combination with a cotton-elevator, of an air-pipe connected thereto and having an opening rovided with a movable door, a valve for c osing the air-pipe connected to the door for simultaneous operation therewith, the door when opened being disposed at an angle to and engaging the upper end of the valve, the valve being closed when the door in the side of the air-pipe is open, the upper extremity of the valve being in. contact with the upper extremity of the door, and lower extremity in contact with wall of air pipe or conduit, thus destroying the suction through elevator, and diverting suction through partially-opened door in side of air pipe or conduit, and vmeans for creating a suction through the air-pi e and elevator.

6. The combination wit a cotton-elevating means, of an air-pipe comiected thereto and provided with a device for interiorly opening .and closing the same and also with means for permitting the ingress of air thereto and simultaneously operative with the said device, and suction mechanism cooperating with the pipe, the interior closing device for the pipe being structurally independent of the means for controlling the admission of air to the pipe from the exteriorof the latter.

7. In an apparatus of the class set forth, the combination with a plurality of cottoncleaning devices having an air-pipeconnected therewith and projected at one extremity therefrom, a suction-fan connected to said projected extremity of the air-pipe, the latter having an opening formed therein be-.

tween the fan and the adjacent cleaning device, and structurally independent valves re s ectively cooperating with the opening in t e air-pi e and located interiorly of said airpipe, sai valves being connected for simultaneous operation.

8. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination with a cotton-elevator, of an air-pipe connected thereto and having an opening in one side, and closing means for the said opening and for the pipe having a simultaneous operation, the closing means for the opening being movable to leave portions of said opening clear both above and-below the said latter closing means.

9. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination with a cotton-elevator, of an air-suction pipe connected thereto and .DGSSGS.

THOMAS A. ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

H. A. CAMP, HENRY KEITH. 

